Union garment.



. WY A. MEREDITH.

UNION GARMENT. APPLIOATIION'EILBID mungv, 190B.

Patented June 8, 1909.

WILLIAM A. MEREDITH,

OF CHICAGO, ILLINOIS.

Union GARMENT. 3

To all whom it may concern; Be it known that I, WILLIAM-A. MERE- DITH, acitizen of the United States, and a resident of the city ofChicago,Cook-county, 5 Illinois, have inventedcertain new and usefulImprovements in Union Garments; and

. I do hereby declare that the following is a,

full, clear, and exact description of the same, reference being had tothe accompanying drawings, and to the letters of reference. markedthereon, which form a part of this specification.

This invention relates to improvements in I that class of articles ofapparel known as",

union garments. V

Many different devices of this class of ap-' parel have been heretoforedevised which comprise the union in orfe garment of the under-shirt andunder-drawers. Many of these have been so constructed that althoughreadily opening or unbuttoning down, the front, from the neckband to thebreech, have yet been inconvenient to the wearerwhen using the stool.This particularly is the case in the garments intended for males and toobviate this tendency, some have been constructed quite open at the seatand around and up the back to near the belt line. These, however, areobjectionable inasmuch as they frequently do not remain closedatalltimes and'furthermore for the reason of the imperfeet fit frequentlyresulting, In some in stances, a square fla has been provided openingdown each si e and buttoned at the waist line and adapted to dropdown'when unbuttoned. i

The object of this invention is to provide an article. of apparel of theclass described adapted norma 1y to fit the form and although. providedwith a closed section at the crotch, yet permitting the rear portion tobe opened when necessary.

It is also arr-object of the invention to provide an article of a parelof the class described adapted to utton down the front from the neckbandto the crotch and to a reinforced crotch piece and provided at the rearwith overlapping, inwardly foldable fia'ps adapted to button at thewaist line and to ehtirely close the back portion.

The invention consists in the matters hereinafter described and morefully pointed out and defined inthe appended claims.

As shown in the drawings: Figure 1 is a fragmentary front elevation ofan article of r Specification of Letters Patent. Application filed June27, 1908. Serial No. 440,744.

apparelembodying my invention. Fig. 2 is Patented Tmiie s, 1909.

' a similar rear elevation thereof with the back flaps closed. Fig. 3 isan enlarged, fragmentary rear elevatlon showing the backportion fullyopened. Flg. 4 1s an enlarged fragmentary view in bottom plan showingthe circular crotch piece and a part of the rear flaps. F 1g. 5 is anenlarged transverse section taken at the belt line.

As shown in the drawings:

which, as shown, is opened in front and buttons for the entire lengthfrom neckband a, to the circularcrotch piece of, shown in dotted linesin Figs. 1 and 2. The underdrawers are conveniently knit in one; piecewith the vest portion, or xnaybe'connected thereto by a belt stitched toconnect both portions. I

As shown, a reinforcing bandB, is stitched at the belt line extendingtransversely the entire back of the garment at the point ofunion-between the vest and the drawers and as showh, flaps b b, eachintegral with the respective legs 6 4) of the drawers at the backthereof and opening down to the circular crotch piece (1., arepermanently stitched to the reinforcing band B, near each end of thesame. Buttons bb", are stitched on said reinforcing band, one on eachside, as shown in Figs. 2 and 3, and the outer flap b. is provided atits outer free corner with a button hole I), adapted to receive thebutton if 'therethrough, and the" inner flap 1), provided with buttonholes b -b to receive the buttons 'b "b, therethrough, as shown in Fig.2. Said flaps arc of sufficient width to overlap each other forapproximately their entire extent and as shown, the outer flap b, isreinforced by a binding tape 1)", which extends frorr the free uppercorner thereof downwardly z. on; the nm e'in of the flap and atth'ccrotch piece (1., extends transversely to reinforce the seam at thejunction of the flaps.

'The operation is as follows: The garment opening in the front permitsthe same to be readily put on or off, while the use of the" In.

crotch insures a close it to the person. ,uslng the stool, the flap b,is released from the button If, and the flap b, is released from thebuttons h---l)", permitting the seat to open,

as shown in Fig. 3, sufiieie.nti for the pm pose. In clo'slng the flaps,the somewhat triangular flap (1, is first nut-toned on the buttons 6-4), and the flap t, is buttoned at f its outer corner on the but-tent",thus afford- A, indicates the shut or vest portion of the garment lOQing a secure attachment for toning of but three button-holes.

The double layer of fabric is not objectionable. sirable as tending toprotect the highly vascular lumbar region and its ganglia from chilling,thus in many instances, preventing illness, and insuring hygienicualities not to be found in other garments 0 the class.

Of course, I amaware that details of the construction maybe varied. Ihowever do not purpose limiting this application for pat;- ent otherwisethan necessitated by the prior art.

I claim as my invention:

. 1. In a union garment adapted to button from neckband to crotch, acircular reinforcing crotch piece closing the crotch, said garment beingopen in the back between the crotch piece and Waist line, a waist band,buttons thereon and inwardly folding, overlapping triangular flaps,permanently united together adjacent the crotch piece and permanentlyunited at the sides of the garment to the waist band and having buttonholes to engage the buttons on said waist band, one of said flapsclosing overthe other for its entire distance and affordin a doublelayer of fabric to cover the lum ar region of the wearer.

2. A union garment open from the neckhand to the crotch and one sideadapted to button over the other, crotch, said garment open at the rearabove the crotch t0 the waist band and overla ping flaps adapted one tobutton over tl ie Instead in many instances it is dea reinforced closedthe flaps to hold other at the waist band and both to open the same inplace, and necessitating thc butoutwardly.

3. A union garment buttoning from neckband to crotch, a reinforcingcrotch piece closlng the crotch, said garment being open in' the backbetween the crotch )iece and Waist linefa reinforced waist ban buttonsthereon and inwardly folding, overlapping flaps, permanently unitedtogether adjacent the crotch iece and. permanently united at the sidesoi the garment to the waist band and having button holes to engage thebuttons on said waist band, one of said flaps closing over the otheraffording a double layer of fabric to cover the lumbar region of thewearer and a reinforcing binding layer for the outer flap.

4. A garment of the class described having a closed crotch, a circularreinforcing piece stitched therein, a triangular opening between saidcrotch piece and the waist line of the garment and triangular flapspermanently united together at the crotch piece in overlapping relationand at the 11 mm and outer edges permanently secured to the waist line,and adapted to overlap each other to cover the entire lumbar region ofthe wearer affording a double layer of fabric thereover.

In testimony whereof I have hereunto su bscribed my name in the presenceof two subscribing witnesses.

WILLIAM A. MEREDITH.

' Witnesses:

C. W. HILLS, K. E. HANNAH.

